Potential Youth Foundation Opens Greenville Location on SCTAC Campus

Greenville, S.C. – Potential Youth Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works with underprivileged youth to instill character and education through sports, has opened in Greenville on the SCTACcampus.

Formally established in 2002, The Potential Youth Foundation is dedicated to the support of disadvantaged youth through academic, character and athletic programs. The foundation – free for those who qualify as disadvantaged youth and available at low cost for those who don’t – currently provides an after school program for children in grades 4-12, as well as an eight-week summer program.

The location includes a full-service computer learning center, with computers and private study space, monitored by a full-time academic coordinator. Tutors are also available to work with children’s’ academic needs. Potential Youth Foundation teaches basic computer skills, has small group tutoring, grade monitoring, one-on-one tutoring, ACT/SAT preparation and a homework center. The facility also consists of three full-size basketball and volleyball courts, and 25,000 square feet of training space and equipment in its speed and agility center.

Potential’s Coaches 4 Character program has featured eight prominent college head football and basketball coaches who speak to middle and high school-aged students regarding the importance of character development. The eight coaches include Clemson basketball coach Oliver Purnell, Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams, South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier, Texas basketball coach Rick Barnes, former Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr, North Carolina women’s basketball coach Sylvia Hatchel, East Carolina football coach Skip Holtz and Vanderbilt football coach Bobby Johnson.

"We want to play an integral role in our community with the development of youth, grades 4-12 and being located on the SCTAC campus helps us accomplish that mission,” said Greg Blatt, executive director of Potential Youth Foundation. “Our gymnasium is first-class, and our learning center includes 12 computers. We have the facilities and staff to offer kids a healthy combination of academics, athletics and character development programs, including an after school program and summer enrichment program, both which are offered at no cost to youth who qualify."

"We are extremely excited the Potential Youth Foundation has chosen SCTAC as its home to continue its mission for helping the disadvantaged youth of this area," said Jody Bryson, president and CEO SCTAC. "This unique organization contributes to the diverse services provided by all SCTAC tenants and enhances our community with its philanthropic efforts."

The South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center is unique to the state of South Carolina. It is the largest general aviation airport in S.C. with more than 50,000 flights annually and its total economic impact is $222 million, more than all of the general aviation airports in the state combined. No other business facility in the state has a fully-operational general aviation airport, a state-of-the-art control tower, an 8,000 ft. runway capable of handling large aircraft, and a second, 5,500 ft. runway that is already built and can be activated.

SCTAC is a hub for industrial, technological and aviation facilities, and provides direct access to an airport infrastructure that contains an aircraft maintenance and modification center suited for air cargo and aviation-related businesses.

Strategically situated along the I-85 corridor in Upstate South Carolina, two hours south of Charlotte, N.C., two hours north of Atlanta, Ga., and three hours northwest of the historic port city of Charleston, S.C., the South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center is also within 30 minutes of some of the country’s best colleges and universities, including Clemson University, Furman University, Wofford College, and Greenville, Spartanburg and Tri-County Technical Colleges.

The South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center (www.sc-tac.com) opened in 1942 as Greenville Army Air Base. When the Air Force decided to close the base in 1962, the city and county of Greenville purchased the property and named it after Greenville native, Captain John O. Donaldson, a World War I flying ace, and it became known as Donaldson Center Industrial Air Park. It changed its name to the South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center in 2008 and currently employs more than 4,000 people from more than 80 local and international companies and organizations, including Fortune 500 companies 3M, Lockheed-Martin and Michelin. For more information, please visit the center’s website at www.sc-tac.com.